Are horse barns heated in winter? Do horses stay warm enough when the temperatures get down to single digits?

Answer 1

Barns should never be truly "heated" in winter unless the horses are not going to be going outside. Horses coats are designed to trap warm air near their bodies and insulate them. If you look at horses in a field after a snow or ice storm, they should all have snow or ice on their backs. This is an indicator that their insulating layor is working properly. Their coats are trapping all body heat near them and thus, not allowing the snow or ice to melt. Horses that don't grow a full coat, or don't insulate properly need to be blanketed, however they need to be closely monitored to make sure that the blankets are actually keeping them warm and not trapping cold air or water near the skin. If a horse lived in a truly 'heated' barn (ie, heated over freezing, or warm enough for humans to feel comfortable), they would never develop a true winter coat, and would therefore be miserable during the truly cold winter months. Also, when horses eat hay, the breakdown of that hay gives the horses sort of an internal heater to warm them from the inside out.

Answer 2

No, most horse barns are not heated in the winter, at least not in MD. Many horses during the winter are out at day, and in at night. If the barn were heated it would be too much of a temperature change for the horse, not to mention that it would be really expensive.
A horse that has been clipped (shaved) must have a blanket on as soon as it starts to get cold. Most healthy horses, however, do not need blankets, even if they are outside all the time, as long as they have some sort of shelter.
If your horse is really old, or in poor condition, then he probably needs a blanket, or needs to be brought in when it is really cold.
A horse cannot stay warm if he is wet, he must be dried off ASAP.
Horses grow thick coats. If you go out on a cold day and touch one, he will feel cold. However, if you feel under the mane, or bury hour hand into the fur, they feel very warm.

Answer 3

There are many factors that decide whether or not a barn is heated - the main one is cost. So really, it varies from barn to barn. The stable that I work and board at is not heated. We live in the middle of the prairies in Canada, so it gets quite cold here around this time of year and the horses are fine. The heat from them warms the building (when it's completely closed up) and allows them to maintain a comfortable body temperature. Many of these horses have winter blankets to go outside with on the really cold days, but other than that, they are happy as horses can be!

Answer 4

Some horse barns are heated in the winter. I used to keep my horse at a barn that heated the aisles to 33 degrees F just so the water buckets wouldn't freeze. Horses can take extreme cold if they have their winter coat. If you body clip them, they will need a blanket. If they are unclipped, they generally don't NEED a blanket until it is like -20 out, unless there is wind/rain. This does vary depending on how thick the horse's coat is. A lot of people blanket their horse anyways because it makes them feel better. (I do..!)

Answer 5

A lot of barns in Northern areas are heated. Domesticated animals (those kept inside) usually wear sheets and blankets and have plenty of clothes... Closing the barn doors, alone, eliminates wind and the body temp of the horses alone keeps barns in moderately cold areas warm enough without heaters. Horses that live outside grow a very thick coat - some breeds are more tolerent of cold weather than others.

Answer 6

I have several friends who have heated barns. They all live in the Northeast or the Midwest.

Barns are not heated the way you heat the house. All of their horses get blanketed even though the barn is heated. It is very expensive to heat a space as large as a barn, and they all keep it a barely tolerable temperature, but it is better than not having heat at all.

Answer 7

A lot of horse barns are heated. Some aren't. Depends on how well they are doing etc. Horses grow winter hair so healthy horses should be just fine. A lot of barns rent stalls or only pasture. Many pastures have shelter (mangers) that horses go to for semi shelter but are still okay.

Answer 8

I have seen many heated/air conditioned barns, But we put blankets on all of our horses in the winter just so that they stay nice and cozy!!!! But besides that most horses will grow thick winter coats to keep them warm.

Answer 9

We keep our horses outside year round in Wisconsin. Temps drop below zero esp. with the windchill and they are perfectly fine. We have a shelter in the pasture, but I have only seen our 30 something year old pony use it- all other 15 horses mostly avoid it (We have a big pasture)
Now if you have a horse with a thin coat or that is not used to being outside, they will need a blanket and/or be kept in. If a horse is allowed to grow a full coat and be outside, 90% will be fine in cold weather.

Answer 10

If large, furry animals like horses and cows can get inside out of the wind, and can stay dry, and sleep in dry bedding, they are quite comfortable in single digits. They have a large body mass and plenty of fur. They will need a little extra food to burn to stay warm, but trust me, not only are they fine, but they're quite comfortable as long as their bedding is dry. They can even do well in subzero temperatures as long as they can be inside out of the wind.